COLUMBUS (February 21, 2023) —Columbus Crew today announced that the Club has signed MLS SuperDraft pick Maximilian (“Max”) Arfsten. The 21-year-old forward is under contract with the Black & Gold through the 2024 season with options for 2025 and 2026. Selected by the Crew in the First Round (14th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, Arfsten joined the Crew in pre-season and secured a First Team roster spot following a nine-goal, six-assist season in MLS NEXT Pro action in 2022 with San Jose Earthquakes II. Arfsten appeared in 24 matches (21 starts) for San Jose Earthquakes II in 2022, scoring nine goals and tallying six assists.
He recorded two multi-goal games, scoring braces against Colorado on May 15 and Minnesota on Sept. 18. The Fresno, California native played collegiately at UC Davis, starting 16 of 19 games his freshman year, earning 2019 Big West Conference All-Freshman Team honors. In 2021, his final collegiate season, Arfsten scored eight goals and tallied seven assists.The Black & Gold are set to open the 2023 MLS season on the road against the Philadelphia Union this Saturday, Feb. 25, and hosts D.C. United for the home opener at Lower.com Field on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET.With the addition of Arfsten, the Crew’s 2023 roster currently stands at 26 players and is listed alphabetically by position below:
Goalkeepers (4): Evan Bush, Eloy Room, Patrick Schulte, Brady Scott
Defenders (9): Milos Degenek, Mo Farsi,
Keegan Hughes, Jimmy Medranda, Steven Moreira, Jake Morris, Philip Quinton,
Will Sands, Josh Williams
Midfielders (9): Luis Diaz, Kevin Molino, Alex Matan, Aidan Morris, Darlington
Nagbe, Isaiah Parente, Yaw Yeboah, Sean Zawadzki,
Lucas Zelarayan
Forwards (4): Max Arfsten, Cucho Hernandez, Christian
Ramirez, Jacen Russell-Rowe
TRANSACTION: Columbus
Crew signs forward Max Arfsten through the 2024 season with options for 2025
and 2026, announced on Feb. 21, 2023.
Name: Maximilan Arfsten
Position: Forward
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 172 lbs.
Born: April19, 2001 in Fresno, CA
Hometown:Fresno, CA
Acquired: *Signed on Feb. 21, 2023, through the 2024 season with options for 2025 and 2026
*Previous Experience: San Jose Earthquakes II (2022)
